1. Field of the Invention
THIS INVENTION relates to a stalk puller and chopper assembly and in particular but not limited to an assembly suited to pulling and mulching cotton stalks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following patents deal with stalk pulling apparatus of various kinds and also apparatus employing cutters to provide mulching.
Australian Patent No. 652375 to ARIZONA DRIP SYSTEMS INC et al describes a stalk puller employing self driven discs but there is no arrangement to mulch the stalks once they are extracted. The stalks must be gathered and burned or mulched separately.
Australian Patent Application No 47427/93 to QUICK describes a cotton stalk puller where belts extract stalks and then a series of conveyors and screws deliver the stalks to a hammer mill for mulching. This puller is complex and expensive to make and maintain and the components are prone to become clogged with dirt.
Australian Patent No. 541023 and Australian Patent Application No. 80108/82 both to S. BEN-DOR LIMITED describe a stalk extracting and shredding implement where stalks are extracted by a pair of wheels, the stalks are then transferred to an oblique conveyor then to a set of four feeder rollers which feed the stalks into a shredder where a rotating shredder chops the stalks against stationary blades. This particular unit, as in the case of the previous unit is expensive to make and maintain and the components, particularly the stationary cutter blades are prone to become clogged and ineffective.
Australian Patent No. 657649 to STOKES describes a trash plant stem shredding apparatus which is quite similar to the S. BEN-DOR unit in that it employs wheel type extractors and feed rollers feeding the stalks into a chopper; but a different geometry is employed. Nevertheless the chopper used is still prone to become clogged.
Australian Patent Application No. 55037/86 to McLEAN describes a stalk puller and chopper assembly employing an arrangement similar to the S. BEN-DOR arrangement but the shredder employs two overlapping contra-rotating shredder blades. The stalks are still fed adjacent fixed cutters, in this case formed by openings in a shroud, the edges of the openings effectively provide fixed blades against which cutting takes place. This apparatus is also prone to become clogged.
Australian Patent Application No. 49124/93 describes a shredder where nib rollers mounted on a tool bar in front of contra-rotating shredders pluck plants which are then shredded by the following shredders. This machine does not exercise any control over shredding.
Australian Patent No. 485,855 describes a stalk puller and shredder employing cone shaped feeders delivering stalks to a chopper assembly.
UK Patent No. 2245472 describes a chopping machine employing contra-rotating intersecting cutting blades which also link with spaced counter-cutters having disc shaped notched blades. The cutting blades have pivotally mounted Y-shaped ends that fit either side of the counter-cutters.
One major problem with the prior art arrangements is that the cutters are prone to become clogged with soil thereby reducing efficiency of the chopper. Another problem of maintenance and expense arise due to the complexity, the machines usually involve chains, conveyors and feed rollers all adding to costs.
In addition there is little or any control over the orientation of stalks delivered to the cutters so cutting efficiency is compromised.